The 5,000 represents the Believers; 
(Mat. 14:15-21; Mrk;  6:30-44;  Luk. 9:10-17; Joh. 6:1-14). 

The 4,000 represents the Doubters; 
(Mat. 15:32-16:12; Mrk. 8:1- 21). 

     Read the above passages of the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000. 
The Lord is teaching us by numbers,
by different Greek words and by comparing Scripture texts. 

Mar. 8:15-21: 
 "He charged them saying, "take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod." 

      And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "it is because we have no bread." 
And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, “why reason ye, because ye have no bread? 
Perceive ye not yet neither understand? 
Have ye your heart yet hardened? 

 Having eyes, see ye not?  And having ears, hear ye not?  And do ye not remember? 
 

 "When I brake the five loaves among five thousand,
how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?" 
They say unto Him, "twelve." 
 "And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?" 
And they said, "seven." 
 And He said unto them,
"how is it that ye do not understand?" 
 

Mat. 16:11-12:
    "How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, 
that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?" 
   Then understood they how that he bade them not to beware of the leaven of bread, 
but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 

THE LESSON: Do Not Mix Faith With Works. 

     The Lord fed the 5,000 first and then the 4,000 because He wanted them compare the two feeding incidents and, to know about the doctrine of the Pharisees that causes doubting. 
By comparing the two feedings,
they could see the different sizes of the baskets used and the different numbers of baskets gathered. 
It was after the feeding of the 4,000 that he told them to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,"
and  "O ye of little faith." 
 

    Comparing these two passages,
we see that the disciples understood what the Lord was saying to them. 
Jesus said to beware of the doctrines of the Pharisees that is based on works that causes pride and one to be puffed up. 
The Lord reminded them about 7 LARGE baskets they used to gather the fragments of bread,
in the feeding of the 4,000,
and the 12 small baskets to gather the fragments of bread in the feeding of the 5,000. 
 
 

    The Greek word for baskets at the feeding of the 5,000 is korphinos, 
which means a small basket about the size of the original loaf of bread. 
The fragments gathered in the baskets were the same size as the original size of the bread,
but the number of baskets grew to 12. 
 

This is to show that the bread did not grow in size but in numbers,
from 5 baskets to 12 baskets of the bread fragments. 

The number 12 is the number of maturity and completeness.

In the feeding of the 5,000, the lesson is faith and maturity and it was not to be mixed with works. 
Works causes one to be PUFFED UP.
 
 

    In the feeding of the 4,000, the number of loaves of bread (7),
and the number of baskets of fragments gathered (7), 
remained the same but the remaining fragments of bread were gathered in LARGE (spuris) baskets, which is an indication of being puffed up. 
This is what leaven does to bread. 
The Lord is warning the disciples in analogy that the teachings of the Pharisees are based on works: what one must do to please God, 
which cause pride and one to be puffed up. 
 
 

    Seven is the number of dispensation. 
In the book of Daniel of the O.T.,  a week is equivalent to 7 years. 

Throughout the Scripture there are many occurences of the number 7. 
Seven represents the fulfillment or completion of an event and eight is the number of a new beginning. 
All that came out of Noah's ark into the New world were 8. 
Jesus rose on the eighth day, the first day of the week, a new beginning, a new dispensation of Grace. 
Here the seven baskets is the end of the law as the law brought out our sins and points us to Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:23-25).
 

We have a new beginning, under grace, under Christ. 
The 4,000 could not increase but remained the same amount of baskets, 7. 

    Doubters and unbelievers go by the works of the law and Christians who emphasize works are doing the same,  and doing this brings doubts and unbelief. 
Emphasizing works and not faith will keep you in the realm of the law and gather up 7 basket and not 12 which is complete or maturity. 

The new beginning, the resurrected, the spiritual life is unknown to you. 
Christians who emphasize works,
remain in the same dispensation as those under the law,
and the spiritual things are not truly known to them. 

They become religious, preaching works of man, from the physical point of  view. 
They speak often of what a  Christian should be doing or must do to please God.

This is why the 4,000 started out with 7 loaves bread and ended with 7 large baskets of fragments and remain in the dispensation of the law. 
 
 

    The 7 baskets that were used to gather the fragments of bread at the feeding of the 4,000,
were large baskets. 
The Greek word for basket is spuris, meaning a large hamper. 
This is the same word used in 
Acts 9:25,

When the disciples let down the Apostle Paul, 
then known as Saul in a basket (spuris) down the wall.
 It was a basket large enough to hold a man. 
 
 

    Only by comparing the many details in the feeding of the 4,000 and of the 5,000,
can one see and understand the lesson Jesus is teaching about faith and doubting. 
Oftentimes in scriptures, we need to compare two or more verses, 
incidents or parables to get the full and true spiritual message. 

    The many contrasts in these two incidents deal with certainty in the feeding of the 5,000,
and doubting in the feeding of the 4,000. 
This does not mean there were only unbelievers in the feeding of the 4,000,
but it is only a picture, or type. 
The 4,000 or the number 4 represents the world system and a picture of doubting. 
The 5,000 or the number 5 represents separation, division and  in believing. 
 
 

     Both the unsaved and unbelievers seem to be synonymous. 
At times, there is a difference between the two. 
An unsaved person is a non-believer in God's Word. 
A Christian, who believes in God's Word, 
sometimes has doubts and unbelief regarding a certain thing and for the moment becomes a doubter. 
The disciples had many doubts and many occasions of unbelief. 
 

John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit coming down like a dove, and alighting upon Jesus,
when John baptized Jesus. 
John heard the voice of God from heaven saying,
"This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." 
John went about declaring,
"Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." 

    John the Baptist was sure that Jesus was the Messiah,
but when he was put in prison and Jesus departed to another city, he began to doubt. 
John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah or do we look for another
(Mat. 11:1-3).

John witnessed and heard the voice of God saying,
"THIS IS MY BELOVED SON." 
Why did John the Baptist doubt? 
It is because he did not see the Cross. 

He believed, like the others,
that Jesus the Messiah had come to set up the Kingdom of God now. 
He did not know of the Cross of Calvary and Jesus’ death and resurrection.
 

     Although John the Baptist said,
"Behold the lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world,"
he did not think that Jesus was going to be sacrificed and die literally. 
He thought that by setting up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth,
sin would not be present in the Kingdom. 
When John was thrown in jail and Jesus went to another place,
John doubted.

     Peter experienced what the other disciples did not. 
He walked on the water. 
Then with John and James, he saw the transfiguration of the Lord,
and heard the voice of God, saying 
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."
(Mat. 17:5).
Yet when the Lord was taken captive, Peter doubted and denied the Lord. 
 

     We too, if we do not know the reality of the cross in our lives,
will begin to doubt when difficult times come. 
Death must come before life. 
Jesus said,

"Except a grain of wheat die and fall into the ground it abideth alone." 
 

We know of the death of Jesus, but do we know of our death with Him? 
To know His resurrected life in us, we must know our death with Him. 

     The lesson here is to beware of the doctrines of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 

Beware of emphasizing works,
for it will bring doubts and weaken our faith in the Word of God. 
Beware of mixing faith with works! 
 

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